Welsh Water announces plan to cut 500 jobs

Welsh Water says it hopes the job losses can be done through voluntary redundancies

Welsh Water plans to cut about 500 jobs over the next two years.

This represents about 12% of the company's 4,000-strong workforce but Welsh Water said it would deliver better value for customers and divert money into front-line water and wastewater services.

The not-for-profit organisation said the intention was to increase the efficiency of "back office" and management positions.

The firm hopes most of the job losses will follow a process of voluntary redundancy and chief executive Peter Perry recognised it was an "unsettling time" for colleagues but said the company would handle the process with "care, compassion and fairness".

He added: "Customers rightly expect us to invest in improving our services and to keep our own costs to a minimum – and that's exactly what this programme will achieve.

"We are acting now so we can protect services for customers, investing more in our networks and the environment and ensure that as much of our customers' money as possible goes into the things that matter most - reliable water and wastewater services and support when people need us."

The company is also planning to spend £4bn on its frontline services over the next five years, with more than half of that money going on its environmental performance.

Water bills for most in Wales rose by 27% in April to an average of £639 per year, with further rises due until 2030.

Water companies in Wales and also England have increased bills this year, which they said would lead to more investment to deal with problems such as leaks and sewage overflows.

Welsh Water chief executive Peter Perry said the company recognised it was an "unsettling" time

Two months ago, figures showed Welsh Water had recorded its highest number of sewage pollution incidents in a decade.

The company responded to this by saying its performance was "not where it needs to be".

Campaigners have also accused the company of "lacking ambition" when it comes to reducing water pollution.

Sewage was released into rivers, lakes and the sea for a total of 968,000 hours by Welsh Water in 2024.

Last October it was ordered to pay a £24.1m underperformance penalty by industry regulator Ofwat.

It has since been announced Ofwat will be scrapped, and Wales will get its own water watchdog.

Welsh Water was also fined £1.35m for failing to properly monitor water quality at 300 sites between 2020 and 2021.